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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2801 by RevAnakin
Idril wrote:....
I wil get one I think and see what I can do to tone down that handle colour...
You know, I know someone who has one on sale for the next couple days :D

Well, it's "official," United says that the new Gandalf staff is available. I am excited for it!
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."

Decide what to defend your castle with at www.castlekon.com

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2805 by Nasnandos
I have a shipment coming in from United tomorrow, which I assume is Gandy's BOFA staff. Hopefully no shiny clear coat!
Fingolfin wrote:About how heavy is it compared to say the Kili and Fili swords? I assume that the poly weapons are quite a bit lighter than the metal ones, but how much are we talking? :huh:
I never even thought to compare them, but it's probably only a couple of pounds, not even comparable. It's just poly, so it's not something I would go swinging around, just as I don't play with my Weta statues.

Well, I did shoot Bard's little arrow a few times :)
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2812 by Nasnandos
You both may think it looks perfectly fine. It definitely does not look bad, by any means, but I'm comparing it to the prop, which was more subtle. The pipe is dead on though. It looks real. I just got an email from United saying that some people have asked if they can really smoke it!

The only real issue I saw with one of the two staffs I got was that there were a few small dots of mold on it. They forgot to put the moisture absorbing packets inside the polybag with the staff! It wiped off easily, but not something I want to see right out of the box.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2819 by Nasnandos
I really like the way the Tauriel daggers came out, but I have to say, this is probably my favorite Hobbit piece out of all the ones I worked on. Definitely my favorite of the Hobbit staffs, but this was always my favorite LOTR staff too - which is why I put the LOTR pipe in it instead of the Hobbit pipe :)

I'll have to shoot some side by side pix of the Radagast staff for comparison. It is interesting looking at the battle damaged parts and the darker coloring on the crown. I hope there is a scene in the EE showing how the crown got so dark and burnt looking. I suppose that could just be orc blood stains :)
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2821 by Nasnandos
The stem is straighter and lighter colored on the Hobbit version, although in some of the FOTR photos the stem is just as lightly colored. The bowl is shaped different and at a different angle too.
This is The Hobbit pipe.
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This is the LOTR pipe.

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The only part I did not include from the FOTR version was the leather wrist strap, since that is obviously not on the BOFA version. It's relatively easy for anyone to carve out the hole and add it though.

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KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2823 by Valkrist
The staff looks excellent, Kit. I often forget that you are far more critical of the production samples when you first get them because you actually worked with the prop and your prototypes will reflect that way more than the finished end product. To us average Joes, we may end up wondering what you were talking about once we finally get one and see that it is awesome after all. Still, the Thorin sword is a reminder that the factory people still drop the ball quite often. I almost get the feeling that there's someone on the other end that receives your prototypes, looks them over, decides that they know better, and then proceeds to ok 'improvements' to your instructions that prove to be anything but. That's got to be frustrating for you. :(
This Space for Rent

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2824 by Lindir
The staff indeed does look great. The major gripe I personally had with my Weta Radagast staff was how flat it all looked, it was all very similar tones. This staff from UC, at least from what I can see in the photos, looks much better. I can see browns and some slight greens and it looks really nice. Might have to pick this up myself when they finally arrive in the UK, probably in 2017 :P
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2826 by Nasnandos
Lindir wrote:The staff indeed does look great. The major gripe I personally had with my Weta Radagast staff was how flat it all looked, it was all very similar tones. This staff from UC, at least from what I can see in the photos, looks much better. I can see browns and some slight greens and it looks really nice. Might have to pick this up myself when they finally arrive in the UK, probably in 2017 :P
I was reminded how flat the Weta Radagast staff looks when I laid them side-by-side last night. I prefer the more dull wood look on the Weta staff, even though that's not prop accurate, but it is really lacking in darker paint wash color in the deeper areas, especially the crown. In some places the detailing looks completely different because of the lack of paint, even though the sculpts are essentially identical on both. Ideally, a paint job in between these two would look perfect.
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Last edited by Nasnandos on Thu Jul 30, 2015 2:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2829 by Nasnandos
I forgot about that one. No, and it was not on our prop nor in any of the prop photos I have from WB. I am almost positive I saw it in the scene where he cleans his pipe at the end of BOFA though, so at some point between the time he was given it by Radagast and that pipe scene, Gandalf carved it. What is interesting is that one on display in Wellington in those photos is the complete, pre battle damaged version, with the rune.

I have not scoured the Blu Ray yet to see if that one was used in the film, but it's hard to tell because they accidentally filmed him holding the AUJ staff in many of those scenes.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2833 by Fingolfin
Well, in theory they are the same staff. That is, within the world of Middle Earth, the staff Gandalf uses at the end of the BOFA and the beginning of FotR are the same. This was made as a replica of the staff seem in the hobbit, but it would apear that the designers took some liberties and added some favorable elements from the staff as seen in FotR. For the details on this, see Kit Rae's (Nasnandos) prior comments. :cheers:
"Remember, the force will be with you, always."

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2834 by darthwhitey
That makes sense, but I still don't see where the other staff fits in?

I think I have UC2926...here's the description...

One of the most powerful Wizards in all of Middle-earth, Gandalf the Grey joins the quest to reclaim the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor and the great treasure that lies within its stone halls from a fire breathing dragon, Smaug the Terrible. Gandalf's staff appears to be a natural piece of wood, but the crown of the shaft holds something supernatural. Within the crown, the wood has grown around a hollow, white lattice-shaped bulb. The lattice is vaguely Elven in design, and holds a great power. At Gandalf's command, he can cause the crown to illuminate and light his way at night, or to spark a blue flame to ignite fire. The staff is also imbued with a great strength, allowing Gandalf to shatter stone with one strike.

I actually prefer this new version to the one I have and will be getting it soon!
"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2836 by Nasnandos
darthwhitey wrote:So is this new Gandalf staff (with pipe) from BOFA or FOTR or both?
It's Radagast's/Gandalf's staff from BOFA (minus the Gandalf rune), with the pipe and spike from FOTR.
N2darkness wrote:I think I will do a few conversions to change it to the FOTR staff. Drilling the hole and adding the leather strap and the rune. I may even go as far as making a metal spike to replace the resin one as well.
If you drill the hole, keep in mind there is a hollow aluminum tube inside, so you need to drill through that as well. I suggest laying the staff on some thick foam or a rolled up towel to minimize the vibration when you drill. Aluminum drills easily, but I would start with a small hole on each side, and progressively make it larger with larger bits.

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There are two knot holes on either side where the leather runs through. You just drill through the middle of each. I'm pretty sure the tied knots in the leather strap used for filming were not this ratty looking, but there is no place in the film where you see it up close. When the strap is pulled taut, it's about 27cm from the wood knot holes to the end of the strap.

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The rune is about 44mm tall, V cut.
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KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2837 by Buckeye
Thanks for the additional pics, Kit. I don't think I'm brave enough to attempt a mod, but if I ever do these pics will be the guide.

My Gandalf staff arrived safely on Friday. It's in perfect condition, with no issues whatsoever. I can report the same few spots of mold/mildew on the head of the staff, but they wiped off easily. The pipe is fantastic, and the nail looks like real metal. I'm really happy I bought this staff, and it's definitely one of my two favorite staffs (along with Radagast's).

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
~~ Thorin Oakenshield

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2838 by Nasnandos
Uhg. I hope they did not get a whole shipment in of moldy staffs xP. Having dealt with the occasional mold problem on shipments from overseas before, vinegar or baking soda and water kills it and can be used to wipe down the product. Neither will damage the paint finish.

The spikes on the two I got do not fit very tightly. A bit of soft wax, like bees wax, keeps it in without damaging the paint.
Last edited by Nasnandos on Sun Aug 02, 2015 3:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

2848 by Buckeye
I love the design of that polearm. I'm really kicking myself for having cancelled the pre-order I once had for it . . . especially because it was made back when BudK still honored their 25%/30% off promotions on LOTR and Hobbit merchandise. Arrggghhh. Ah well, I now have an opportunity to place an order via Castle Kon. :thumbs_up

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
~~ Thorin Oakenshield
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